A few weekends ago I was railfanning in the Kansas City area, and I saw a locomotive with the cab markings as an SD40-2TR. Now, I know that the T stands for Tunnel Motor, but I can’t imagine what the R suffix would mean. Or could it be that the TR together mean something totally different.
Could somebody enlighten me on this? [I]
Thanks!
Acela [D)]
Generally an R at the end of the designation means the locomotive has been rebuilt. If whoever put the designation on the locomotive correctly, SD40T-2 (why UP called them SD40-2Ts for a while I do not know), it would have read SD40T-2R.
Thanks! [8-|]
If I remember correctly, they are re-engined SD40-2, with Cat prime movers.
There is a pair of them working Basin Yard switching, next door to my yard so I will wander over there and see.
The R stands for rebuilt. SP did this with every locomotive that when through a thorough rebuild as a part of their G.R.I.P. program (SD9R,SD45R, SD40T-2R). When UP inherited them in 1996 they kept the R designation but didn’t always stencil it correctly on the repaints.
Oh, that makes sense.
Thanks!
Acela